Found
by ialwayswantedtobebrave
Summary: Regina waits for Ariel to return from Storybrooke and reflects on her time in Neverland. An unexpected person shows up and surprises her. (One-Shot AU of 3x06)


**Found**

Regina was fed up with not getting any closer to finding Henry. She had left the Charmings in hope that teaming up with Gold would get her somewhere. It had….but barely at all. But now she had to rely on a little mermaid that would take god knows how long to return with a tool from Storybrooke that could help them get rid of Pan.

Now they had to _wait_. Regina never had liked waiting. It gave her mind the chance to bring back old memories and make her look back at her choices. That never ended well for anyone. It made her feel weak and she couldn't be weak here in Neverland. She had to be strong for Henry; she had to do whatever it took to get her son back.

Gold had decided to go back to his old campsite and start up the fire again…Regina's guess was he just wanted something to pass the time. She had decided to wait by the shore-it was something to do at least. But now she was thinking too much about all the things that had happened over the past week on the island.

What she had said to Snow just after she had told Emma how easy it was to give in to the darkness. Who knew Snow would have been so right about giving into the darkness. That was all she had done the whole time they had been in Neverland. But that was her role. She was willing to be the "Evil Queen" and do all the horrible things that went with that title if it meant holding Henry in her arms again. Her heart was the darkest out of everyone's, aside from the imp's of course.

Regina stood up in frustration. She needed to stop dwelling on the past-that had never gotten her anywhere. The important thing was to look forward and keep moving ahead. But things kept nagging at her forcing her to recall past conversations.

"_You're a monster_."

Emma had said to her. Surprisingly when Emma had said that she had almost inwardly flinched. That had brought to mind the words she had said to Rumple just after she was still questioning if she wanted to do magic. '_You're vile_' she'd muttered or something similar to that. She had never wanted to be that. But because of her choices, she had become the "Evil Queen" that Rumple needed her to be. All the while he had been pushing her from the sidelines, guiding her like a puppeteer manipulates a puppet.

"_You didn't just ruin your life. You ruined HIS."_

Regina wondered to herself-had Tinkerbell been right? That man with the lion tattoo…had she condemned him to a life like hers-devoid of love, and hope? She had not thought about him in years until they had met up with the fairy on the island. Had the curse brought him to Storybrooke? Had he seen her fleeing from the doorway that night at the tavern? So many questions that she would never have the answers too.

Regina let out a sigh of frustration. She had to STOP. If she kept thinking about all of this, she would lose focus and drive. She needed to do everything in her power to find Henry. She glanced back in the direction of Rumplestilskin's camp and turned to go back.

Suddenly, she heard the loud crack of a twig in the jungle just behind her. Regina twisted around, with a fireball ready in her hand.  
"Whoever you are…I can hear you." Regina yelled out glancing into the jungle's bushes near where the sound had come from. Suddenly, a small round scared face appeared behind a large leaf. She immediately extinguished the fire in her hand. She hesitantly stepped forward and put her hands up in a gesture meant to reassure the young child.

"It's alright dear. You can come out. I won't hurt you." She spoke softly, lowering her voice similar to when she talked to Henry.

A very little boy with medium length brown hair and hesitant brown eyes slowly walked out onto the shore towards her. He stopped a few feet in front of her just staring at her with a questioning look. Regina took a small step back and exhaled in slight shock. '_He looks so much like Henry did when he was a little boy', _she thought to herself.

She took a few steps towards him and bent down to his level. "What's your name?" She whispered to him.

"I'm Roland. Will you help me find Daddy?" He asked with hope.

"Daddy?" Regina questioned him. So this child wasn't a Lost Boy after all. It seemed as though Pan was stealing more children besides her son as well. Well, this boy was found now and she would make sure he made it home safely just like Henry would. How she would explain this to Gold she didn't know but she would figure it out. But she would not leave this child behind.

"I promise that I will do everything I can to help you find him. I promise I'm not leaving you here alone okay?" Regina said standing up to her full height and gently extending her hand out to Roland. For a moment, Regina feared that he wouldn't take it. The little boy only hesitated for one second before taking a hold of her hand. Regina sighed in relief and let a smile play on her lips. She may not have her own son yet, but anther little boy had found her. It was accomplishing something at least.


End file.
